Pages

People sometimes come to me after they have gotten themselves into a mess. Usually, this happened because they did not get legal advice before signing or agreeing to something.

From their experiences, I have compiled this list:

1) Do not sign a letter of intent with a record label unless you show it to a lawyer first and have seen the underlying contract and agree to it. A letter of intent is a little note that says you will sign a contract with the label.

2) Do not sign a management contract for your band until you have a lawyer tell you what it means.

3) Do not let anyone act as your agent unless they are licensed to do so. In California, agents are licensed by the state and highly regulated. This is to protect you, your career, and your pay. In Illinois, agents and bookers, whether working on behalf of the talent or the employer (venue/ production) must be licensed by the State as theatrical talent agencies.

4) Do not pose for nude or compromising photos if you plan to have any other career. If you do so, never sign a general release.

5) If you are working with someone else writing songs or a script, and you believe you are getting authorship or ownership in the song or script, get this in writing in advance.

6) If you form a band and play paid gigs, have a contract between the band members for how you will make decisions, who manages the band, who gets the money, who owns copyright on which songs, and what happens when a member quits.

7) Independent films almost always lose money, not make money. But they are wonderful anyway.

8) If you work with models or actors on sexual or suggestive photos or videos, make absolutely certain they are at least age 18. Using anyone under 18 is "kiddie porn" and can land you in prison.

9) When someone in Hollywood makes you an offer that is too good to be true, it means they want your money or to have sex with you -- or both.

10) If you have a "get rich" scheme, make sure before you begin that it does not violate anyone's copyright or right to privacy or publicity. Are you using someone else's music? Using photos of a famous person? Borrowing pictures or words off the internet? Get legal advice before you sink time and money into your plans.

Sue Basko

Sue Basko is a lawyer in California, Illinois, and is an attorney and counsellor of the U.S. Supreme Court. She works in law for music, film, design, indie journalism, protest law, and land use planning. She earned a Juris Doctorate graduating maga cum laude. She has a B.A. in Film and Video and attended graduate school in Radio/ TV/ Film with an emphasis on digital production, media law, and management. She has produced and directed hundreds of low-budget TV shows and videos, as well as doing video, audio, and lighting tech on many large-scale events. She made shows for such organizations as Chicago Public Libraries, Chicago Public Schools, National Strategy Forum, Art Institute of Chicago. She hired crews and handled budgets. She directed tech on a large scale rave style dance floor, with special effects and computer-controlled lights. She worked staff at Northwestern University School of Law with the classes in Trial Practice, Trial Advocacy, Negotiations, and National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).

Susan Basko assisted with a 2012 study conducted by OSCE-ODIHR (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights). She participated in a summit of many nations in Vienna, Austria, where her legislative proposals regarding independent media use in protests/ public assemblies were adopted and sent to the 70+ member nations.

Recently, she attended a semester-long seminar course taught by Deray McKesson of Black Lives Matter fame at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. She also participated in Harvard University's School for Resistance.

CONTACT easily by email:

suebaskomusic@gmail.com

Notice

Folks, if it is not on my blogs (see links on sidebar), or on my owntwitter or my facebook, it is not me. I am never involved in anything distasteful or questionable. If you see something like this, it is not my words or work, but that of stalkers/ crazies.